Promoting the labour market integration of refugees. An international perspective
On Wednesday November 21st 2018, a workshop will take place on policies that promote the labour market integration of refugees. Matti Sarvimäki (Aalto University) and Michele Battisti (University of Glasgow) will present ongoing Randomized Controlled Trials in Finland and Germany and Iris Berkhout (Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment) will discuss the role of her department in evaluating the effectiveness of Dutch initiatives to promote the labour market integration of refugees. The workshop concludes with a panel discussion with various researchers from other countries.
Many humanitarian migrants have a hard time finding their way to the labour market. Only ten percent of working-age humanitarian migrants who entered The Netherlands in 2014 had a job two and a half years later. While international evidence indicates that integration policies may improve labour market outcomes of refugees significantly, our knowledge about what makes such policies effective is still limited. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide a reliable method to learn more about the effectiveness of particular policy instruments. Several countries have started to evaluate elements of their integration policies through this approach.
This workshop reviews our empirical knowledge about effective policies to promote the labour market integration of refugees, with a particular focus on the use of RCTs. Matti Sarvimäki (Aalto University) will kick off with an overview and he will present an ongoing RCT that evaluates the use of social impact bonds in Finland. Michele Battisti (University of Glasgow) will present preliminary results from an RCT that evaluates the effectiveness of job search assistance in Germany. Iris Berkhout (Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment) will discuss the role of her department in evaluating the effectiveness of Dutch initiatives to promote the labour market integration of refugees. A panel of several international researchers will then further discuss our knowledge about effective labour market integration policies for refugees and what is needed to learn more. The workshop is aimed at policy makers and researchers interested in the labour market integration of refugees. It will be in English.
Program
15:00 Reception with coffee and tea
15:30 Presentations by Matti Sarvimäki (Aalto University), Michele Battisti (University of Glasgow) and Iris Berkhout (Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment)
16:30 Panel discussion with previous presenters and Carlos Vargas-Silva (University of Oxford), Tommaso Frattini (University of Milan), Dominik Hangartner (ETH Zurich) and Marie Louise Schultz-Nielsen (The Rockwool Foundation)
17:00 Drinks
Registration
If you want to attend the workshop, please register before the 14th of November at J.Verbruggen@cpb.nl.